Monthly Archives: December 2011

Numerous studies have questioned the practice of using dobutamine in cardiac failure. Despite that, most guidelines for supportive treatment of decompensated cardiac failure still include dobutamine. A recently published meta-analysis has another go at it.

The question as to if physicians have a place in prehospital emergency medicine is often portrayed as a great controversy. That implies that the results from studies comparing paramedic only systems with paramedic-doctor ones are largely conflicting and no conclusions … Continue reading →

For our further reference, teaching and the reader’s benefit we are keeping this great illustration (below) of supraglottic airway invasiveness and anatomy. It was ripped from a review on SAD history, failures, use and misuse that was mentioned here before. Authored … Continue reading →

Intubating the critically ill in the ICU, in theatres or in the streets is likely to be the most dangerous thing we ever do. Their physiological margins are too narrow to allow for any mucking about. Importantly, these guys won’t … Continue reading →

We know intravenous injection of lipid emulsion is an effective antidote of some overdoses of lipid-soluble drugs like the local anaesthetics, beta-antagonists, calcium channel blockers and antidepressants. I never thought of it being used as an antidote in cocaine toxicity.

You can spot an orthopaedic surgeon a mile away by their hunched posture and the bad habit of dragging their knuckles along the floor. Other specialities have, confronted by this vision of the man-ape, assumed it reflects their intelligence. The standing … Continue reading →

The Fourth National Audit Project of The Royal College of Anaestetist and Difficult Airway Society (NAP4) has supplied us with an unique opportunity to analyse our airway management practices. Some of it touches on things recently talked about on this blog. … Continue reading →

ATLS says we should get chest x-rays for all trauma patients. That is likely to be just a waste unless we have specific findings suggesting actual chest injury. This study looks at 1008 blunt trauma patients who were hemodynamically stable and … Continue reading →

We aren’t taking intraosseus needle techniques seriously enough. Despite their record of speed, safety and ease of use they are still considered a mere handy back up to use after failed IV cannulation. What will it take for them to … Continue reading →

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Email Address

About ScanCrit

A blog on anaesthesia, intensive care and emergency medicine. In-hospital and outside. Mostly focusing on the critically ill patient. Written by two Scandinavian senior anaesthetic registrars turned consultants.

This is our way of keeping log of articles and interesting things we come across in our work and on the internet. Should any of you out there stumble across this blog and find it useful then all the better.

Please leave comments or questions if you have any. The best way to keep learning is to keep the conversation going.